As the "games as art" debate roars on, film critic Roger Ebert finds his name in the headlines again, this time after a lengthy attack on the gaming industry in a recent article entitled "Video Games can never be art." In it, he claims that games can't be art for a number of different reasons, none of which deviate from his traditional slander on the medium. More recently, however, he has found himself defending his opinion on Twitter.

In the days since his article went live, many have apparently claimed Ebert is simply too old to "get" video games, an argument that he was quick to rebut: "Over and over, the gamers tell me I am too old to appreciate video games," he replied, "Not a one is too young to appreciate art."

Apparently, gamers hit a nerve. Since then, he issued another statement, claiming, "I'm not too old to "get" video games, but I may be too well-read."

This is a claim that should make anyone to ever pick up a game controller cringe. While he's not literally saying that he's too smart for games, he's... sort of saying exactly that. In his wave or Twitter rebuttals, he even went as far as to post that he was surprised that the gamers arguing against him were "literate," another desperate swing by an out-of-touch man.

This condescending statement will obviously do little but further aggravate those who are against him, which might be his point to begin with. He's slipped out of relevancy in the film industry, so he apparently has to get his kicks by randomly assigning qualifications to the completely subjective term "art." In his article, he even finds time to say that Flower isn't a game, meaning he's even taking time out of his busy schedule to qualify "game" as well. Lucky us. What would we ever do without him.

I wonder what caused his sudden interest in games?

What an asshole.

That is immensely condescending - if I didn't already treat his opinions on video games as non-qualified based on the fact that he doesn't play, I would now (justifiably) dismiss him out of hand.

Okay, guys! You're allowed to be jerks to Ebert now. I am sorry for saying otherwise.

his booming tv career most likely.

OK, Ebert can go fuck himself now. I was willing to let him go with the "Games cant be Art" BS, since I don't agree with him but it wasn't worth the argument. But now he has gone too far.

I hope you choke on a hotdog or doughnut Ebert

I would be careful if I were him.

Naked scene of Ebert in GTAV confirmed!!

You know what? Screw this. What does a movie critic know about art. Last time I checked, art was not designed to fit into a 90 to 150 minute slot in order to justify the cost of a ticket but not upset the bladder. If anything, movies shouldn't be considered art, since we are forced to accept events at the movie's pace, rather than the viewer's. Therefore, painting, sculpture, poetry, literature, and games can be considered art, but movies can't.

Actually its gaming journalist, bloggers and gamers that just can't let things go that I BLAME for this. Why is this news? Do we care how Roger Ebert feels about your girlfriend's hair? Your mom's green been casserole? The neighborhood you live in? Comic books? Amusement parks? Vacation spots? The national debt? The price of tea in China?

Seriously, if you don't get mad about what that 68 year old man down the street thinks about gaming and gamers, then why Ebert? He's a film critic. Outside of that, he's just another uninformed opinion.

For the record, I still like the guy. Just don't care what he has to say about things outside of film, cancer and interracial marriages.

And once again both camps are taking things way too seriously. Ebert's "too old", "out of touch", and "slipped out of relevancy" while gamers are "illiterate" and "stupid". Glad we've made it this far, can't wait to see where it takes us from here.